I AM VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO WELCOME SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE
INTERNATIONAL GATHERING OF LEADERS AND EXPERTS FROM GOVERNMENTS,
MULTI-LATERAL ORGANIZATIONS AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS.

I AM ESPECIALLY PLEASED THAT THE REASON WE HAVE COME TOGETHER
IS TO DISCUSS ONE OF THE GREAT CHALLENGES OF NATIONS -- COMBATING
CORRUPTION AND UPHOLDING INTEGRITY AMONG JUDICIAL AND SECURITY
OFFICIALS. CORRUPTION, ESPECIALLY JUDICIAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
CORRUPTION, IS ONE OF THE MOST INVIDIOUS THREATS TO THE POLITICAL AND
ECONOMIC HEALTH OF A NATION AND ITS PEOPLES.

FOR THE MANY OF US IN THIS ROOM WHO ARE JUSTICE OR LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, THE CHALLENGE IS ONE THAT STRIKES CLOSE TO
HOME. FOR WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN LARGE MEASURE IS HOW TO
POLICE OURSELVES AND HOW TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE
INSTITUTIONS WE MANAGE.

AT STAKE IS NOT JUST OUR PERSONAL REPUTATION, BUT THE SUCCESS
AND CREDIBILITY OF ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE TRY TO DO AS LEADERS
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME AND THE PURSUIT OF JUSTICE. ULTIMATELY THE
SAFETY, FREEDOM AND ECONOMIC VITALITY OF THE PEOPLE WE SERVE
DEPENDS ON HOW WELL WE RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGE OF KEEPING OUR
OWN HOUSES CLEAN.

ALTHOUGH THE CHALLENGE IS GREAT, THERE IS MUCH THAT WE CAN DO,
BOTH ON OUR OWN AND BY WORKING TOGETHER. I COMMEND TO YOU THE
STATEMENT OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND
SAFEGUARDING INTEGRITY AMONG JUSTICE AND SECURITY OFFICIALS, WHICH
HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR THIS GLOBAL FORUM. THE PRINCIPLES AND
PRACTICES SET FORTH IN THAT DOCUMENT GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW AND A
SAMPLING OF THE GREAT DIVERSITY OF ACTIONS THAT DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
HAVE ADOPTED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION. I HOPE THAT THIS
DOCUMENT WILL HELP US TO ESTABLISH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR
PREVENTING AND COMBATING GOVERNMENTAL CORRUPTION.

BUT AS THAT DOCUMENT MAKES CLEAR THERE IS NO MAGIC ANSWER, NO
ONE PRESCRIPTION THAT WILL STOP THE PLAGUE OF JUDICIAL AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT CORRUPTION IN ALL PLACES. WE MUST EACH CUSTOMIZE OUR
OWN APPROACHES TO THE PROBLEM, APPROACHES THAT ARE COMPREHENSIVE,
YET APPROPRIATELY TAILORED TO THE POLITICAL, LEGAL, ECONOMIC, AND
CULTURAL CONDITIONS OF OUR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES.

WHILE THERE IS MUCH THAT WE CAN AND MUST DO FROM WITHIN, SO
TOO IS THERE MUCH THAT WE CAN AND MUST DO TOGETHER. WE MUST
CONTINUE TO WORK AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS TO DEVISE AND IMPLEMENT
COMPLEMENTARY STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS CORRUPTION. MOST IMPORTANT,
WE MUST MOBILIZE PUBLIC CONDEMNATION OF CORRUPTION AND GRAFT IN
GOVERNMENT SO THAT THEY ARE NEVER VIEWED AS ACCEPTABLE PRACTICES.

FOR THE UNITED STATES, FOSTERING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND
THE RULE OF LAW IS ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES OF OUR INTERNATIONAL
CRIME CONTROL STRATEGY. WE HAVE EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR
COOPERATIVE EFFORTS BETWEEN U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND
RELATED AGENCIES AROUND THE GLOBE.

IN THE FIGHT AGAINST JUDICIAL AND POLICE CORRUPTION, WHERE THE
CRIMINALS OFTEN HAVE A SOPHISTICATED UNDERSTANDING OF THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM OR MAY HAVE TIES TO ORGANIZED CRIME, THERE IS A
PARTICULARLY STRONG NEED FOR RAPID MUTUAL ACCESS TO EVIDENCE,
WITNESSES, AND FUGITIVES AS WELL AS THE OTHER TOOLS NECESSARY TO
CONDUCT EFFECTIVE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS.

WE ALSO NEED TO CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE NEW BI-LATERAL AND
MULTI-LATERAL AGREEMENTS TO CREATE A SEAMLESS WEB FOR THE PROMPT
LOCATION, ARREST AND PROSECUTION OF INTERNATIONAL FUGITIVES IN
APPROPRIATE VENUES. IT IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE THAT COLLECTIVELY
WE DENY SAFE HAVENS TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINALS WHO CORRUPT OUR
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND THEN EXPLOIT NATIONAL BORDERS TO ESCAPE
JUSTICE AND ENJOY THEIR ILL GOTTEN GAINS.

FINALLY, LET ME EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF GATHERINGS SUCH AS
THIS WHICH AFFORD US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, TO
HEIGHTEN INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS OF THIS ISSUE, AND GENERATE SOME
OF THE POLITICAL ENERGY NEEDED TO CONTINUE THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST
CORRUPTION ON BOTH THE DOMESTIC AND THE INTERNATIONAL FRONTS. I
HOPE THAT THIS GLOBAL FORUM WILL MARK THE BEGINNING OF REGULAR
INTERNATIONAL GATHERINGS AT SENIOR LEVELS TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE
THINGS WE SAY AND DO HERE THIS WEEK.

WITH THOSE THOUGHTS IN MIND, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU ALL JOIN ME IN
A TOAST TO OUR COLLECTIVE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION. MAY WE
CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER, CREATIVELY AND ENERGETICALLY, WITH
RESOLVE AND WISDOM, TO STRENGTHEN THE RULE OF LAW AND LAY A
FOUNDATION FOR A NEW ERA OF CLEAN, HONEST AND EFFICIENT
GOVERNMENT.